


tell me, atlas. what is heavier?

by memory_bees



Series: all of my fanfics in one place [25]
Category: Dream SMP (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Apologies, Gen, Gore, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Manberg Festival on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Platonic Relationships, Regret, Temporary Character Death, This is definitely ooc considering everything but SHUSH, Toby Smith | Tubbo Has a Bad Time, Toby Smith | Tubbo Needs a Hug, Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings, also wilbur isn't crazy because it's canon divergent and i can diverge as far as i want, be careful fellas, but also like genuinely some parts of this are really graphic djklsa, in which technoblade does not use withers on l'manburg Ever, love that that's a tag, no beta we die like c!dream deserves to, phil come get ur boys they r fighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:08:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28720197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/memory_bees/pseuds/memory_bees
Summary: the world or its people's hearts?
Relationships: Dave | Technoblade & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Dave | Technoblade & TommyInnit, Niki | Nihachu & TommyInnit, Niki | Nihachu & Wilbur Soot, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit
Series: all of my fanfics in one place [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1183928
Comments: 8
Kudos: 115





	tell me, atlas. what is heavier?

**Author's Note:**

> hello! this is my first real fic in this fandom, and hopefully the beginning of a series! but i would also like to clarify: there are NO romantic relationships in this, none, zilch. so keep that bullshit outta here. and if any of the creators say they're uncomfortable w this, it will IMMEDIATELY be deleted.
> 
> anyway, i hope you enjoy!

Technoblade, for the first time in his God-forsaken life, did not want to spill blood. He was being used as a warning to all other citizens of Manburg. He knew. And for once, the voices were split. Some wanted blood, as always, screaming and screeching and demanding it. The other part of the voices saw what was happening. Saw that Techno had been asked to kill a child for the President. And instead of demanding they  _ begged _ for him to leave the poor boy alone, to free him and help him run run run run. They didn't want this soul to join their forsaken, blood-soaked ranks. But Technoblade was always weak to peer pressure.

He shakily took out a firework and placed it into his crossbow, wincing as the reluctant voices wailed in preemptive mourning. He could feel Tommy's eyes on his back, burning a hole into his cloak, and Wilbur had a hand on Tommy's shoulder he was sure of it, getting ready to hold him back because there was no way the blond would want to stay hidden while the next minute or so unfolded.

Technoblade inhaled, "Tubbo-" He choked, the voices were so  _ loud, _ "Tubbo I'm sorry." In the milliseconds before Technoblade pulled the trigger, he swore he saw Tubbo let a tear fall.

And then the half piglin fired one, two fireworks, and chaos ensued.

Technoblade had squeezed his eyes shut as he listened to the firework go off, and he immediately smelled the sour, disgusting smell of burnt flesh. He opened his eyes and felt nausea turn in his stomach. A sick mixture of guilt and shame enhancing the feeling tenfold. The small boy was slumped against the back of his cell, wheezing out a breath, blood spilling from his mouth. As his dress-shirt burned he saw the horrible, deep hole that the fireworks had bore inside Tubbo's body was oozing deep red, and the surrounding area showed what would be a next-life scar. His eyes were closed at least, he wasn't sure if he'd want to see those big blue eyes rolled back in post-mortem terror. He heard an ender pearl be thrown, Tommy no doubt, and Technoblade hopped off the podium, blood lust clouding his vision and killing any unlucky enough to be caught in the crossfire, and after that, he doesn't really know what happened.

He came back from the heady fog of blood lust with a gentle hand on his forearm. He blinked and Wilbur's concerned face came into view. He mouthed words that he didn't really understand, his head felt like it was underwater. He shook his head to get the leftover ringing from the voices yelling to stop, then looked back up at Wilbur.

"Er, sorry, what did y' say, Will?" He asked, slowly beginning to process the blood covering the front of his shirt. It was one of his favorites he thought disappointedly, but it was definitely the least of his problems at that second.

"I was wondering if you were okay, you..."  _ You killed a lot of people _ is what Technoblade feels like Wilbur wants to say, but the words that leave his mouth instead are, "You weren't really... All there for most of the walk."

Technoblade shrugged, he never really is 'all there' after the voices take over.

They continued their trek in silence, approaching Pogtopia. Technoblade paused in front of the entrance, and Wilbur looked at him in confusion.

"Is... Is Tubbo in there?" He asked, voice monotone as always but his face portrayed a deep, aching emotion that neither of the men could put a name to.

Wilbur nodded slowly, swallowing, "He is, he's in the med bay with Tommy. Nikki will be here soon as well." Technoblade inhaled and nodded, Tommy was going to try to kill him. He was sure of it.

Their footsteps echoed hollowly throughout the dugout ravine, each step feeding Technoblade's ever-growing guilt. He hoped the respawn had at least helped Tubbo heal some-what, maybe eased the pain of the burns. Made them easier to deal with, not as awful. Not as real.

Wilbur stepped into the med bay first, his features tensing as his eyes landed on one of the beds. Technoblade inhaled and followed the taller man, swallowing dryly as he saw the scene laid out before them. Tommy was sat in an uncomfortable-looking chair, eyes closed and his brow furrowed. His mouth was pursed as well, a sign that he was thinking deeply. He held Tubbo's hand in both of his, thumb occasionally drifting to press against his wrist, searching for a pulse that was thankfully, blessedly there, if the slow rise and fall of Tubbo's chest was any proof. Tommy reached up to brush Tubbo's hair out of his face, clearly trying his best to be gentle, giving the bandages messily placed over the burns a wide girth so he wouldn't irritate them.

Technoblade finally reached back and gently closed the door, the hinges creaking as the oak wood clicked shut.

Tommy's reaction was instant, his sword was grabbed from beside him and his eyes were wide like a feral animal, standing to put himself in front of Tubbo's sleeping form, and distantly the pink-haired man's heart ached, because oh how this war had dug its roots into these kids' brains and made them alert and terrified of losing everything at the drop of a hat.

Tommy's eyes flicked from Wilbur to Technoblade, and his eyes darkened and his stance grew stronger. This was a boy who had been forced to grow up too fast, Technoblade mused. And he had brought him one step closer to losing the one person who meant more than anything to the blond, and oh how God would punish him for this sin.

"Get out." The kid said, his voice similar to that of a growl. His hands are shaking though, and his eyes are wild. He's terrified.

Technoblade shakes his head, deep, aching emotions swirling through his gut to make the hair on the back of his neck stand, "Tommy, you know I couldn't have done anything else. There were-"

"There were so many other things you could have done. You could have killed Schlatt, you could have broken the fence for Tubbo to run, y-you could have-" And Tommy swallows, his lip wobbling just subtly, "There were so many things that you could have done. But-But you listened to  _ Schlatt _ ." The name was whispered, as if he didn't want Tubbo, even though he was asleep, to hear it.

"It would have been me versus the whole rest of the server if I had killed Schlatt, and who says someone else wouldn't have killed Tubbo?" Technoblade tries to explain himself, but Tommy isn't hearing it.

"But you  _ killed _ Tubbo! You killed him and now he only has  _ one life left _ !" And there it was, the big elephant in the room. Tubbo and Tommy are now left with one life, while Technoblade, Heracles being punished with blood lust from an angry god, stood with all three of his safe. He'd give all of them up if it meant Tommy and Tubbo would have all of theirs intact.

Wilbur swallowed audibly and took a tentative step towards Tommy, who turned his blade onto the second eldest brother, causing the brunet to stop, "Tommy, come on, Technoblade couldn't have done anything else!"

Tommy stomped, proving he was still a child, and raised his voice the slightest bit, "I don't care! He-He could have figured something else out!" A frustrated puff of air escaped the blonde and he spat out, bitterly, "He needs to pay."

They all froze when Tubbo shifted in his sleep, a wheezing little breath escaping him. Tommy's face fell and he all but dropped his sword, frantically trying to readjust the boy onto his back one again. Tommy sighed and gently picked up Tubbo's hand once again, leaning his forehead against it. The scene felt too... Raw. Too real, Technoblade felt like he was intruding, and from the way Wilbur awkwardly shifted on his feet, he probably felt the same.

After a second Tommy let go of Tubbo's hand again and stood, storming up to Technoblade and poked a finger against his chest, "I want to fight you. No armor, no weapons. Right. Now."

Technoblade blinked and looked over to his twin for help, but he shrugged helplessly. The piglin sighed and shifted on his hooves, keeping eye contact with the teenager.

"Are you sure, Tommy?" He remembered, distantly, when he was angry and grieving his parents, Phil had let him spar with him, he had been younger then and ended up with a broken hand, but it still helped, so maybe that's what Tommy needed as well?

The boy nodded, and stepped to the side, gesturing for the blond to exit the room first. He followed after him, and after hesitating for a moment, Wilbur followed, gently closing the door behind him.

Wilbur sat to carving out a pit into the ravine, his eyes cold and haunted. Technoblade sighed as he set hit armor and weapons into a chest. His hand lingered over his crossbow and pressed his lips into a thin line. He closed the chest just as Niki came into view of the three boys, a few scrapes and bruises covered her arms and face, but otherwise, she looked fine. Wilbur let out a relieved, happy laugh and opened his arms as she hurried over to him. The two hugged, Niki, explaining how she had been forced to run during Technoblade's rampage and how she had made sure she wasn't followed. Once the two pulled away from one another, she glanced from Technoblade, who was currently pulling his hair back and out of his face, to Tommy who looked about ready to kill the man.

"What... What's going on?" She asked, but she had clearly already started to put the pieces together, fidgeting with her hands nervously.

Wilbur sighed and looked at his pickaxe, "Tommy wants to fight Technoblade because of, well..." He glanced towards the med bay and Niki's eyes followed, and her mouth dipped into a frown, "You know."

"What? And-And you're just going to let them?" She asked, incredulous, "Tommy's sixteen! There's- He's-You-" She let out a shout of frustration, and glared at all three of the men in the room, locking eyes with Tommy, her features gentling somewhat, "Tommy, c'mon, I don't think Tubbo would want you to-"

"He's not dead!" Tommy shouted, eyes heated, and Niki took a step back. His face fell immediately, looking down in embarrassment of his outburst, "'M sorry, Niki... I just- Don't-Don't talk about him like he's dead. Because he's not." 

She slowly nodded, "I'm sorry, Tommy, that's not what I meant." The kid nodded, staring down at his shoes.

Wilbur climbed out of the pit, and gestured to it, looking a little more broken than he did that morning, "It's ready, gentlemen." And he pointedly did not look at Niki as he spoke.

Technoblade and Tommy wordlessly hopped into it, and if looks could kill, Tommy would have already won this fight. They separated into opposite sides of the pit and without warning, the younger launched himself at Technoblade. The eldest brother grunted and grabbed Tommy’s fist, tossing it away as if it were nothing. Regrettably, this left his other side open, and the kid managed to get a kick there. The piglin grunted and pulled his arm back, swinging, and an awful crunch could be heard echoing throughout the ravine. Blood began to spill from Tommy’s nose but the boy couldn’t have cared less, getting down lower to sweep Technoblade’s legs out from underneath him, but he only managed to get the elder man to stumble, and the voices were beginning to wake up again, chanting for more blood. The piglin grunted as Tommy shouted in frustration and charged at him, successfully knocking him over. The two wrestled on the ground, both earning a few hits, Tommy swung for a punch and got his brother in the eye, but earned a knee to the stomach himself.

But it all came to a stop with a single word coming from a small, and confused voice.

“Tommy?”

“Tubbo.” Tommy’s eyes were wide, and almost instantly he was up and out of the pit, arms around Tubbo’s neck and with a grin that ran from ear to ear, neither of them saying anything about Tommy’s blood getting in Tubbo’s hair. Technoblade watched Tubbo’s arms come to rest around his friend’s back and felt his face pull when he saw the burns running from underneath his shirt’s short sleeve (it was way too big on him, and he wondered distantly if it was Tommy’s because he was fairly certain Tubbo didn’t have any clothes of his own in Pogtopia).

After a few seconds Technoblade saw Tubbo’s face pop out from behind Tommy’s back, the cogs in his head-turning, and he saw the exact moment when Tubbo realized what had been going on while he was sleeping.

“Tommy, why were you and The Blade fighting?” He asked, looking up at his friend. Tommy inhaled sharply and muttered something.

“What?”

“Because he fucking  _ killed you _ , Tubbo.” He grit out, and apparently the reminder that Technoblade was there was enough to put the youngest of all of them on edge again because his arms tightened the slightest amount.

Tubbo furrowed his brow and looked away from Tommy, then his gaze fell right into Technoblade’s eyes, seeing right into his soul. It was odd, to say the least. Because when Technoblade looked back all he saw was wide, scared eyes and a tear dripping down his face. Everyone was waiting on bated breath for what Tubbo would say because they all knew that that would finalize Tommy’s opinion of his oldest brother forever.

“I forgive him.” Tubbo said, partially into Tommy’s shoulder.

Technoblade blinked once, twice, and let a small smile creep onto his face. He nodded once at Tubbo, who nodded back. Tommy shifted uneasily and looked back at Technoblade, keeping his old on the older boy.

“Are you sure, Tubbo?” He asked, and Technoblade figured that probably was the Tommy equivalent of, ‘ _ If you’re just saying that because you’re scared I’ll kill him right now. _ ’

But Tubbo held firm, nodding and giving a half-smile (Technoblade winced, he caused that half-smile, he wasn’t even that close to Tubbo and he missed the full, broad smile the smaller boy had already), “I’m sure, Tommy. Don’t worry, besides, if Technoblade wasn’t there it probably could have been worse.”

The last sentence is a little quieter than the rest, but Technoblade caught it, and swallowed, his eyes downcast. Tubbo was right, if he hadn’t been the one called up, or if it was just Schlatt who ‘took care’ of Tubbo, he’d probably have been given a long, excruciating death (he hated that wording, why couldn’t Schlatt faced himself and told Technoblade to just kill him). Technoblade took comfort in the fact that he had given him the quickest death he could (Not the most painless though. Tubbo had deserved a painless death.).

Tommy’s eyes darkened for a second, but he finally nodded and pulled away from Tubbo, and Technoblade realized that while Tommy was hugging his friend, he was also  _ shielding _ him. The piglin couldn’t exactly blame him, if anything similar had happened to Tommy, Wilbur, or Phil, he’d probably do the same, he couldn’t deny that it still hurt though.

Tommy walked over to the pit and offered his hand to Technoblade, and they both recognized it for what the action really was- a peace offering. Technoblade kept his expression blank as he accepted the help. Tommy’s eyes were less guarded now that he had gotten Tubbo’s view on the situation, but he still watched Technoblade like a hawk as his brother walked over to Tubbo. Tubbo simply stared up at Technoblade, offering him a small smile. Technoblade smiled back and gestured to the staircase leading out of Pogtopia.

“Could we talk, Tubbo?” He asked, seeing Tommy tense out of the corner of his eye.

But despite everything, the brunet nodded and murmured something about getting his shoes on first. The pink-haired man nodded and made his way outside, ignoring Tommy arguing with Wilbur about Tubbo being alone with him. He sighed once he was outside and the bickering had been silenced. Technoblade sighed and climbed the top of a small nearby hill, barely a hillock, honestly. But it was bathed in the warm light of the sun and he figured it’d be a nice place to sit and chat with Tubbo, all things considered.

After another minute or so Technoblade hurt a rough, wheezy breath and he glanced over his shoulder, seeing Tubbo at the bottom of the hill. His eyes widened and he hurriedly stood up, making his way down to where Tubbo was.

“I-” Tubbo wheezed again, hand clenching at his shirt, as if there weren’t enough air in the world, “I don’t think I can get up there after the stairs.” He huffed a laugh and coughed, wincing.

Technoblade just nodded and offered his arm to Tubbo, who took it graciously. Once the boy had nodded that he was fine to move, Technoblade moved them down to a sunny spot free of any trees in the way of the sunset. He carefully lowered the hurting kid (The voices chanted for blood, how he was weak, how it’d be easy, how they wanted  _ more _ , but Technoblade ignored them) down to the ground. Tubbo looked to be in pain, his hand still over where that God awful hole had been in his chest (it was so  _ big _ ), and Techno sat next to him, crossing his legs out in front of himself.

They sat in silence for a while, Tubbo wheezing and coughing and wincing and Techno willing the bile in the back of his throat to fall back into his stomach. Tubbo slowly lowered himself onto his back, and he started to breathe easier. Techno puffed out a breath, the air clouding up in the air before being stolen by the breeze. Was it almost winter?

“I’m sorry, Tubbo.” Technoblade said, not allowing himself to wallow in his self-pity any longer.

“I told you I forgive you, Techno,” Tubbo said, glancing over at him.

Technoblade nodded and brushed some dirt that wasn’t there off of his pants, “I know, but I just-” He inhaled and looked at his hands ( **_Blood for the blood god_ ** ), “But you didn’t deserve that. You don’t deserve  _ this _ .” He gestured to Tubbo, poor poor Tubbo who was struggling to breathe and aching with every move. “And- And I could have figured out something less… Painful.” He couldn’t have, really. There was no time.

“But it was quick,” Tubbo remarked, once again staring at cotton candy clouds and a darkening sky. “So I didn’t really  _ feel _ it for too long… And the colors were pretty at least.”

Technoblade laughed bitterly and looked up at the sky, gazing up at the smear of colors. It was pretty, and he thought he saw a cow pass them in the undergrowth. It was peaceful, despite the chaos of earlier.

After a few moments, Tubbo spoke once again, “Technoblade, can you tell me a story?” His voice was small and inquisitive, and Technoblade knew that by ‘story’ he meant a myth.

The piglin sighed and shifted, before speaking, “Have I told you about Theseus and Pirithous, Tubbo?”

“Mm, no. I don’t think so, not about Pirithous at least.”

The older man nodded and began the tale. He spoke of how Pirithous had heard tales of Theseus’ valor and skill as a warrior, so he stole his cows to meet him. How the two had been impressed with one another and quickly became friends. Tubbo laughed, Technoblade smiled, and he continued. He explained how Theseus and Pirithous had gotten trapped in a boulder by Hades. How Heracles came to rescue them, successfully saving Theseus, but Pirithous had been trapped too tightly. How he had been left to die. How he had been left for the Furies.

Technoblade finished his tale and glanced over at Tubbo, who looked to be deep in thought. After a moment, the boy spoke.

“But-But why did Theseus leave him? Why didn’t he try to save him?” He asked, glancing up at Technoblade. (And again all he could see were tears and color and he could still smell the sulfur and the burning.)

“Well, I don’t think he wanted to leave. I don’t think he had another choice.”

Silence.

“Theseus was exiled after killing the minotaur, right?”

“Yup.”

“Do-Do you think that if Pirithous knew that had happened to him, but still was trapped- Do you think Pirithous would have felt bad?”

Technoblade nodded solemnly, blinking slowly. It was getting dark, they’d have to head inside soon before the mobs started to spawn.

“I think Pirithous would weep for him.”

Hours later, after they had gone back to Pogtopia and they had eaten, Technoblade found himself outside of the med bay. He sighed and gently pushed the door open and stepped in to check on Tubbo, but he instead saw Tommy wrapped around his friend, his expression serious. His back was to the door, and he was once again shielding Tubbo from Technoblade, but reasonably it seemed more like the blond was trying to shield him from the whole world. The piglin sighed a little sadly and approached the bed, hoping that he could see the side of Tubbo’s face with the bandages, but alas, he could not.

He was about to leave the room when he noticed a shiver come from the brunet. Technoblade frowned and looked for a spare blanket but unluckily came up empty-handed. He glanced outside of the door making sure neither Niki nor Wilbur could see him. Once the coast was clear he unbuckled his cloak from around his shoulders and gently placed it over the sleeping boys. He sighed and walked back to the door. He paused though and shook his head at these poor child soldiers.

He glanced at Tommy, “Good night Theseus,” Then at Tubbo, who was still wheezing the slightest bit, “Good night Pirithous.”

And he closed the door.

**Author's Note:**

> come scream at me about the smp on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/sunny_impalas) and [Tumblr](https://sunny-wings.tumblr.com/)!!


End file.
